Drier suitable for drying the human fingers



Dec. 6, 1949 A. ELLIOT DRIER SUITABLE FOR DRYING THE HUMAN FINGERS Filed Oct. 7, 1947 INVENTOR. ANNE ELLIOT ELM M Q ATTORNLY Patented Dec. 6, 1949 DRIER SUITABLE FOR DRYING THE HUMAN FINGERS Anne Elliot, Bronxville, N. Y.

Application October 7, 1947, Serial No. 778,422

3 Claims.

, 1 This invention relates to dryers suitable for drying the human fingers, and is herein disclosed in some detail as embodied in a portable dryer, well adapted for home use in the drying of fingernail polish which has been applied to the fingernails.

Many ladies, after applying fingernail polish or lacquer, sit around Waving their hands for a quarter-hour or more, justly afraid of any source of heating flame, and they do not know just what to do with their hands. They feel something might be done to speed up the drying but know not where to turn.

According to the present invention, a device is provided which may be so built as to be suitable for home use, which is so built as to be comfortable to use and to seem to naturally receive the hand, and which is so designed that it cannot burn the hand or fingers.

In the form shown, the hand to be dried is thrust into an open-ended low-celled box so that the fingers and thumb rest on a finger-supporting shelf, or transverse series of shelves.

Over the shelf is a roof, preferably arched and provided with several ventilating openings. The roof may be transparent, permitting the user to inspect her fingers without removing them. The form shown includes a heating device, preferably one for each finger, underlying the shelf.

The base of the box may be made of metal to furnish firm support for connecting parts, and may be extended below the opening to provide a convenient support for the wrist of the user.

The heating elements may be such as to keep the finger supports comfortably warm, with heats of air reaching 150 F. to 200 F., and may themselves be covered with a material which is insulating both against heat and electricity. Thus, a double protection is provided against a finger being burned by the user.

In order to hasten the drying the box or base housing is shown as provided with openings for the admitting of air, so that moving air tends to carry off the vapors and greatly hasten the drying without overheating the fingers.

In the form shown, the device is small enough to fit on a standard manicure table, is light to handle, and when provided with rubber feet, does not slip easily.

In the form shown, the device is settable to any one of three temperatures.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of one form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a sectional side view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

In the form shown, the invention includes a base 10 which may be of sheet metal stamped to shape, and resting on feet H to permit air to circulate under it.

The feet H may be of rubber to avoid scratching of tables and to insulate the base both against transmitting stray heat or stray electricity.

The base [0 is shown as having turned up edges E2 to form a chamber for heating elements 13.

In the form shown, the base supports on a turned over top flange M, a hand-support I5 which may support the wrist of a user at t around the thumb and each finger lying on its support, when its heater I3 is turned on.

In the form shown, there are four fingers l8, with an opening 5 9 on each side, and two thumbs 11, also with openings 19 on each side, so that a hand rests its fingers naturally on the fingers I8, and the right hand thumb or left hand thumb rest on the appropriate thumb section [1.

The support 15 is preferably of insulating material, insulating both heat and electricity, so that, if of proper thickness, the wrist or finger of the user can never become more than comfortably warm.

The dryer hood I 6, is preferably of some transparent plastic so that the user can see her fingernails as they are drying, and is shown as lying inside a turned-up edge 20 of an extension of the fiange M. which, at the hood l0 overlies the handsupport 85, and is shown as holding the support by small rivets 2|.

In the form shown, the hood I6 is arched and extends from beyond the fingernails to about where the knuckles of the fingers join the hand, inclining upward all the way, so as to avoid trapping any air. It is shown as thin with an edge bead 22 to strengthen its outer edge.

The heating elements [3, are shown as supported by lugs or brackets 23 from the bottom it, and brackets 24 from the end of the edge 12,

and as wound with a high resistance wire 25 and a low resistance wire 26 so that by turning a switch any of three degrees of moderate heat may be obtained by using one or the other of the resistance wires 25 and 26, or using both together.

A pointed switch handle 21 is settable to thus control the three heats or to a fourth position of no heat, connecting to a feed wire 28.

To ensure eiTective circulation of warm air between the fingers i8- and thumb H, the heater is shown as having somewhat elongated openings 30 in the bottom l0, one under each finger I8 and thumb l1, and the hood I6 is shown as having circular perforations 3| over each finger and thumb to carry off the rising warm air. The hood I6 is also preferably of such shape that warm air can escape under the bead 22 over a normal hand.

The rest for the wrist may be narrower than most of the dryer and the base and hand-support 15 may spread out, ending in a sweeping curve around the hood base, but extending out in an enlarged boss 33 to carry the handle 21.

While the wires 25; and 26 are shown bare for clarity they may be often covered with suitable insulation to protect them from being short circuited by a child using a hairpin in play.

Having thus described one form of the invention in some detail, what is claimed, is:

1. A dryer for the human hand having a body with bottom openings, legs holding the body up to permit air to enter the openings, heaters above the openings, spaced insulating supports for fingers above the heaters, a hood overlying the finger supports and having openings to discharge said air, and a wrist support extending from the finger supports.

2. A dryer for the human hand having a body with bottom openings, legs holding the body up to permit air to enter the openings, heaters above the openings, spaced insulating supports for fingers above the heaters, a hood overlying the finger supports and having openings to discharge said air, a wrist support extending from the finger supports, and separate windings on the heaters to vary the heat.

3. A dryer for the human hand having a body with bottom openings, legs holding the body up to permit air to enter the openings, heaters above the openings, spaced insulating supports for fingers above the heaters, a hood overlying the finger supports and having openings to ,discharge said air, a wrist support extending from the finger supports, separate windings on the heaters to vary the heat, and a separate thumb support at each side of the finger supports.

ANNE ELLIOT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,090,371 Marks Aug. 1'7, 1937 2,184,858 Goodman Dec. 26, 1939 2,260,687 Lasha Oct. 28, 1941 2,262,274 Fingerlin Nov. 11, 1941 2,389,822 Simmons Nov. 27, 1945 

